Real-World Applications — Case Studies

From contractors to architects to building owners and all the trades in between, DensElement® Barrier System is helping to simplify the envelope and deliver a well-designed, long-lasting envelope solution. Read through our collection of project case studies across market segments.

In a community heartened by the opening of its first library in 19241, the good citizens of Des Moines, Washington opened a stunning new school the following year on the site of their original one-room school building.

Nestled on Fidalgo Island in Washington State approximately 60 miles north of Seattle, the city of Anacortes is home to nearly 17,000 residents who enjoy the majestic beauty and the unique combination of land and sea the island has to offer. Of course, a coastal location also poses unique challenges for builders, who must ensure that elements including wind and rain don’t penetrate a structure’s interior during and after construction. With rainy conditions a reality several months of the year, choosing a water-resistive and air barrier (WRB-AB) that’s quick and easy to apply is essential. Add to the mix the need to be cost-conscious in order to stretch the available funds to provide the biggest bang for their buck, and the team of Hutteball + Oremus Architecture (H + O) and FORMA Construction had a significant challenge on their hands when they were awarded the Anacortes High School Replacement and Modernization project in the spring of 2017.

Atlanta-based LG Squared, Inc., an architectural and consulting firm that specializes in the design and building of high-performance homes highlights the science behind the building performance of a self-sustainable, off-the-grid homestead in Hayesville, North Carolina. Press play to watch the case study!

Portland, Oregon provides unique challenges for any construction project. Learn about John Quintrell from WPI and Brad Nile from Anderson Construction’s quest for an ideal solution that would allow them to build faster and smarter and turn once wary builders into true believers. Press play to watch the case study!

There is not much in construction that can surprise Mike Jenkins, a veteran in the field for more than four decades. Looking back, Jenkins can recall working under the blistering summers, the cold winters and the awe-inspiring thunderstorms of Macon, GA.

The architect perspectives of Champlain College’s Eagle’s Landing apartments make Burlington, Vermont, seem almost like the perfect town. The building’s 600 windows look out over clean, tree-lined streets; smiling couples holding hands; a woman gardening; the neighborhood mailman making his rounds. Across the street from an old, white house, a brick building— large, pristine, modern—soaks in golden twilight. This is Eagle’s Landing Apartments, a $36 million student housing project designed to be home to 314 students of Champlain College.

Rising above Interstate 5 in Tacoma, Washington, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians’ glamorous new Emerald Queen Casino is about to become an entertainment mecca that will beckon drivers to experience a bit of Las Vegas, Pacific Northwest-style.

RQ Construction, LLC (RQC) is a full-service contracting and design firm with extensive expertise in Department of Defense projects. In 2015, RQC won a contract to complete a U.S. Army Logistics Facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), near Tacoma, Washington. RQC awarded the construction work to Sessler, Inc., a local company that has served the Pacific Northwest since 1969.

Home to crisp mountain air and gorgeous natural scenery, Greeley, Colorado embodies an idealized vision of the Centennial State. It’s also home to several government buildings that have started to show their age. The solution to this problem is an expansive new building located in the heart of the city. Destined to house the municipal courthouse, the city’s TV station, IT department, and water department, the Greeley City Center project is critical to the city’s future. It’s got the weight and gravitas of government at the center.

Hilton Worldwide is scheduled to open 60 new Hilton Garden Inn® hotels this year with 250 additional locations in the development pipeline. When these projects are completed, it will have more than 700 properties in 31 countries. One of the newest properties is in Arlington, Texas. While Arlington receives only about 38 inches of rain a year, the design-build team knew that bad weather could delay the schedule and potentially expose the project owners to late-completion penalties.

As part of an expansion plan sponsored by a Lansing, Michigan township known as “The Heights,” construction broke ground on The Hilton Homewood Suites in late 2016. The Lansing State Journal reported the extended- stay hotel as “the third hotel built since 2015,” to meet a growing demand for more lodging options in Greater Lansing as the tourism industry grows.